Glenveagh Castle

Glenveagh Castle is a Victorian castle with gardens in Glenveagh National Park in County Donegal in north-west Ireland. It was built around 1870 for John George Adair; the design is attributed to John Townsend Trench, and sources give construction periods between 1865 and 1873. Henry P. McIlhenny acquired it in 1938 and later gave it to the Irish state. The park covers 15,484 hectares in the Derryveagh Mountains, and the castle is surrounded by mountains and the peat-brown water of Lough Veagh.

The Victorian garden was laid out from 1885 for Mrs Adair. McIlhenny extended it with Jim Russell and Lanning Roper in the 1950s to 1970s. You will see a Tuscan garden, an Italian terrace, the “67 Steps”, tree rhododendrons and magnolias, and a walled garden with fruit, vegetables and herbs.

You reach the castle from the visitor centre by shuttle bus or on foot. As of October 2026 it is closed on Mondays and Fridays, except on bank holiday Mondays, and may close at short notice; check tour times beforehand. Only wilderness camping is allowed in the park, and open fires are prohibited.